Christian Living

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The Littlest Soldier
©
by

Stephen A. Peterson


Fadi’s mother’s eyes were fixed on her seriously injured son as he lay in a United States Army field hospital room just outside of Baghdad, Iraq. Hospital personnel passing could see her heart was filled with sadness and anxiety. But they could also see she was determined to get help for her son injured by foreign terrorists along with some American soldiers. Like any parent, she wanted Fadi to grow up and fulfill his dreams. Now all of his and his mother’s dreams appeared to be slipping away. Nonetheless, she wanted at least one of her son’s dreams to come true.

She took Fadi’s hand and asked, “Fadi, my son, have you ever thought about what you wanted to do or be when you become a man?”

“Mother, I’ve wanted to go to America, see the Statue of Liberty and some day become an American soldier ever since several American soldiers gave us food, a house and some clothes when father was killed. I want to know for myself where such kindness comes from mother,” Fadi said through a smile.

Later that afternoon, she quietly walked over to the nurse’s station where she met an Army nurse named Marilyn. She explained to nurse Marilyn that her son was seriously injured and asked if her son could become an honorary American soldier.

Nurse Marilyn responded, “Ma’am, I’m very sure I can get that done and more. I know about your son and what happened to him. I’ll talk to the doctor about your son and send over a clothing specialist. I will have him make your son a United States Army uniform. Okay.”

Nodding her head, Fadi’s mother thanked nurse Marilyn then quickly returned to her son’s hospital bed. As promised, a clothing specialist measured young Fadi. Four day later, Nurse Marilyn picked up Fadi’s uniform and with a fellow nurse dressed Fadi in his brand new desert uniform with his name on one side and the U.S. Army on the other side. Once Fadi was dressed from head to toe in his new uniform, General Harold followed with 7 other soldiers to give Fadi a purple heart medal for his injuries, swore him in as an honorary soldier, and gave him a certificate making him an honorary citizen of the United States. Then two of the soldiers that were injured along with Fadi came to congratulate him for his bravery, becoming a soldier and an American. For it was the 8 year old Fadi who alerted the Americans patrolling the area that a strange car was near. When the car exploded Fadi took the brunt of the blast as the Improvised Explosive Device exploded injuring him seriously but causing minor injuries to the Americans.

That night the injuries Fadi sustained finally took his life. But before his dying breath, Fadi look up at the American soldiers, nurses and medical staff around his bed and asked, “Nurse Marilyn, am I really an American soldier and citizen?”

“I’ll answer that,” said the General. “You are an American soldier and citizen! Congratulations Fadi!” Everyone present cheered responding—“Fadi! Fadi! Fadi!

With those words, Fadi responded, “God Bless America!” He smiled and closed his eyes one last time. At dawn taps were played, a twenty-one gun salute rang out, a mother given a flag of the United States though her tears for her fallen little soldier.

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